http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/ News about thatgamecompany en-us Nucleus CMS v3.24 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://thatgamecompany.com/blog//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/ http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=87 TR35
Los Angeles, CA – August 19, 2008 – Jenova Chen has been recognized by Technology Review magazine as one of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35 for co-founding thatgamecompany and his innovative approach for creating video games. Selected from more than 300 nominees by a panel of expert judges and the editorial staff of Technology Review, the TR35 is an elite group of accomplished young innovators who exemplify the spirit of innovation. “The TR35 honors young innovators for accomplishments that are poised to have a dramatic impact on the world as we know it,” said Jason Pontin, editor in chief and publisher of Technology Review magazine. “We celebrate their success and look forward to their continued advancement of technology in their respective fields.”

Jenova Chen and the other TR35 winners for 2008 will be featured in the September issue of Technology Review magazine and honored at EmTech08 Conference to be held at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. September 23-25, 2008.

Additional information about past and present TR35 winners and judges is available at www.technologyreview.com/tr35/. For more information about EmTech08 Conference please visit www.technologyreview.com/emtech/08/index.aspx.

About Technology Review, Inc.
Technology Review, Inc., an independent media company owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the authority on the future of technology, identifying emerging technologies and analyzing their impact for leaders. Technology Review’s media properties include Technology Review magazine, the oldest technology magazine in the world (founded in 1899); the daily news website TechnologyReview.com; and events such as the annual EmTech Conference at MIT.

For Technology Review
Sarah Mees, 978-208-1499
press@technologyreview.com ]]> Press http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=87 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:09:50 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=86 grass sandals

Kripsy Kreme (a company famous for their glazed donuts) is now making grass sandals, so urbanites can reconnect with Mother Earth.

From KK:
"Krispy Kreme questioned over 1,000 UK workers and found that over half (53 per cent) of urbanites believe their stress levels are affected by a lack of contact with Mother Nature. In response to the problem Krispy Kreme has created the world’s first grass flip-flops to bring summer magic to the city – giving stressed out workers a (literal) spring in their step by creating an instant grassy park underneath their feet regardless of their urban location."

Hey Krispy Kreme - have we got the game for you! How about a cross-promotional tie-in here? ]]> Misc http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=86 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:37:18 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=85 gamepro best of e3 2008
The hard work finally pays off. We are very excited to hear all the responses post E3. It means a lot for us to be on GamePro's list next to Gears of War 2. We are also very proud for Playstation Network and everybody worked for it. In addition, we are quite surprised to find out the distant love from PlanetXbox360.com . Thank you so much for supporting us, and you know this would only make us work harder :).]]> Press http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=85 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:00:39 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=84 HD version, it takes 15 seconds to pass through the commercial. In addition, you have to navigate through their bookmarks to find the Flower segment. (7 min or so) Fortunately, some like-minded user uploaded his own cut.]]> Flower http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=84 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:46:18 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=83
Into the Pixel is organized by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, and each year selects 16 visual works to be displayed as part of their collection, which tours the world over the course of the year.

We are honored to announce that a flOw screenshot has been selected!! We are also honored that we have the distinction of having the only in-game screenshot in this year's collection (the other works are concept art pieces - amazing, amazing, concept art pieces).

You can view the image here:
http://www.intothepixel.com/artwork-details/winner_details.asp?idArtwork=657

You will also be able to see the print at E3, Leipzig, and a number of other conferences this year, until the D.I.C.E. summit, at which they auction off the works! So start saving your pennies!]]> TGC : General http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=83 Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:39:44 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=82

Now through the power of the internet, on Amazon, iTunes, Rhapsody, and many other online retailers, you can enjoy the youthful stylings of flOw composer Austin Wintory!

"Spirit of the Cosmos" is a collection of Hollywood-style scores Austin composed between the ages of 15-17. Conducted by Austin and performed by the Utah Symphony, these tracks are all in the style of some of his favorite childhood film scores. ]]> Misc http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=82 Thu, 5 Jun 2008 17:07:14 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=81




Today we turned two.

This photo is missing John Edwards, who is at home sick with food poisoning =(]]> TGC : General http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=81 Thu, 15 May 2008 14:51:07 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=80 Anna Knos today on IM. She's not in the video game industry but somehow is doing researches about games. And by sharing my thoughts on video games and art with her I learned a lot myself.

In short, video game can be Art if you make it.

And here are my lazy IM notes...(JC = me)
(AK = Anna)
AK: How do you define a game?

JC: In the traditional sense, they are interactive contents considered mainly for entertainment and leisure purposes. However it is often considered the most commercially successful art form of interactive media. Whether game is going to become the new name for interactive media just like the "film" of motion pictures is still unknown.

AK: I’m wondering the difference or split (if any) between an art game and game

JC: Game is really just a medium, so anything in a medium can be art or not be art. Art is a communication between the creators and the audience, where non art can also be entertaining. However, there's no intellectual message embedded. Someone said art is for changing the world while entertainment is for leisure.

AK: Hmm. Postmodern is not to change the world.

JC: Yeah that's why I didn't completely agree with him.

AK: what is the drive in your art making?

JC: To me art is sharing understanding of life with others. Whether it's an opinion or an appreciation, artists express that message and feeling through their works.

AK: are you saying that an artist can create a game around his appreciation for the relationships formed between user and piece (game)?

JC: very likely. For example, in architecture, the artists design a building with consideration of how human interact with the building, the lighting, the shadow and so on. I'd consider that as an interactive art rather than a sculpture of concrete. In fact, if you look at a well made sports car, isn't it an appreciation of the relationship and extension between the driver and the machine?

AK: :) indeed it is

JC: However, while most people make cars, they don't necessarily put their messages in it. They are just making a car. They forget what they want to express through the metal. Therefore, the car is just a car, not an art.

AK: yes. That’s clear :)

JC: if I'm an industrial designer I might be able to design a car that expressing my feeling about peace, depression or anything. I think artists are people who have something to say and have the desire to share with others. And the medium they can use are unlimited.

AK: Do you see digital as a medium?

JC: digital is a tech term to describe that things are stored in numbers, usually 0/1. So I won't call it a medium.

AK: Yeah. But I keep seeing "the digital medium"

JC: well that means "any medium that uses 0/1 to store" which can be painting, movie, music and game, anything as long as they are stored in some kind of data format.

AK: Do you feel that there are universal structures to the game (like having a goal and levels and so on)?

JC: there are conventions, but never rules. So goals and levels are not mandatory. But it would be easier for others to understand if a game has them.

AK: what's the most abstract game you've seen?

JC: it's hard to define abstract, maybe that means the opposite of realism

AK: umm, I mean farthest from the classic game while still falling under the term Game

JC: I can't really choose the most abstract game of all time. There are too many art pieces that are considered non-game.

AK: I’m trying to get a grasp of the poles within the game medium. But I’m asking what you consider a game... I dun care about other people

JC: you can try out "passage" which is a game that I considered art. One of the most inspiring games I played in the past two years…]]> Game Design http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=80 Wed, 7 May 2008 00:28:39 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=79


The Hollywood trades paper, Variety, is running a piece today on ten innovators in entertainment, and we are humbled to have been named one of them! Alongside luminaries the range from LucasFilms to La Blogotheque, we're totally stoked to have gotten a nod.

Articles and video interviews can be found here.

]]> Press http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=79 Mon, 5 May 2008 11:00:35 -0700 http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=78
Yahoo! News Featured this little ditty on their front page yesterday:

Great Games for Small Budgets

from the article:
"Gas prices got you down? Mortgage rates keeping you up at night? As the country teeters on the brink of a recession, are you feeling the pinch? Never fear: although your entertainment budget might be strained, you don't need to go without fun altogether. Check out this collection of cut-price classics -- including a few Best of 2007 game nominees -- all widely available for under $30."]]> Press http://thatgamecompany.com/blog/index.php?itemid=78 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:55:25 -0700